The Forest
by wingedmercury
Summary: Everyone knows the Japanese Mafia owns the US Northeast; but as different factions vie for power, and the reemergence of Uchiha Sasuke throws everything into chaos, how will Hinata survive? Drugs, assassins, and Sasuke is a vampire—oh my! AU. NaruHina.
1. Waiting For My Man

a/n Oh boy, another fic from Wings! This is a departure from my usual narrative, a very fun experiment in style, and my first shot at an AU fic. It will probably be a four or five shot.

_*Spoiler* in case you are feeling lazy, I'll just go out on a limb here and tell you that the POV is Hinata's:)_

**Title:** The Forest

**Summary**: Everyone knows the Japanese Mafia owns the US Northeast; but as different factions vie for power, and the reemergence of Uchiha Sasuke throws everything into chaos, how will Hinata survive? Drugs, assassins, and Sasuke is a vampire—oh my! AU. NaruHina.

**Please note: I will update after this chapter gets at least ten reviews:)**

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><p>Chapter One: Waiting For My Man<p>

_Saxophones started blowin' me down _

_I was buried in sound _

_The taxicabs were driving me around _

_To the handshake drugs I bought downtown _

_To the handshake drugs I bought downtown_

_~Handshake Drugs, Wilco_

You are standing on at the corner of White and Eutaw Street, in the smelly, hairy armpit of East Boston. The street has the peculiar, mixed perfume of stale urine, beer sludge, vomit, and rotting half-eaten fast-food. Putnam Square Park is eerily quiet, except for the whining airplanes overhead, coming in and out of Logan International; how you wish you could hop on one of those outbound planes for anywhere but here.

The first few times you came here, you felt as out of place as a Barbie-doll in a soul-food restaurant, with dreadlocked rastas looking at you disparagingly over their plates of gingered collard greens. You don't feel out of place anymore, even though your straight black hair and your pale, white skin attract the attention of every hoodie-clad bro in the vicinity of the park. The so-called "bros" don't bother you anymore; the last time one of them laid his greasy hand on your shoulder, saying _hey baby want to have a good time— _That's when you funneled blue chakra into your fingertips and jabbed them into the fool's sternum, fracturing a few ribs.

No, the bros don't bother you anymore, though Naruto still chews his fingernails nervously every time you insist on doing a deal by yourself. You huff, your breath frosting on the cool, evening air at the thought. Your boyfriend can't protect you forever; and if you are going to be a member of The Forest, you need to pull your own weight sometimes. Even if the responsibility scares the shit out of you.

_Besides. You're a bad-ass. You can take it, _you lie to yourself, fingering the loose ear-bud from your electric-blue ipod. The other ear-bud is plugged into your left ear, because even though you _should_ be alert for your man, he's always so god-damned late and you need something to do while you stand on this godforsaken corner, something to drown out the roar of the low-flying aircrafts. "It's okay for you to say what you want from me, I believe that's the only way for me to be: exactly what you want me to be," you whisper along to the music, your breath puffing and misting with every enunciation. You think of your father, and you call yourself a fool, a damned, weak fool—

"Hey Hime, talking to yourself? Did I keep you waiting long? I'm sorry," her man says, his head obscured by a grimy gray hoodie.

You spare him a humorless smile for the well-worn nickname. You are hardly a princess, and if you were, you wouldn't be kept waiting in East Boston for your fucking cocaine, now would you? He probably found the name on Wikipedia or something, hoping to impress his Japanese client. You are not impressed. You toss your glossy black hair impatiently over your shoulder. "Just singing along," you murmur, wrapping your ipod up in your earbud wires and stashing it in your messenger bag. "Do you have what I asked for?"

"Of course Hime, of course. And you—"

"I've got the ten grand. Come on." You take his arm, even though touching him makes you feel dirty. Your sneakers crunch the dried, desiccated leaves from the sparse smattering of deciduous trees lining the park. Your footfalls lead you to the familiar bench; the one obscured by the defaced statue and the gnarled oak tree decorated in knifed hearts and carved gang-names. "Give me a taste." It's not a question, it's a demand, because damn it, it's gotten late and you don't want to walk ten city blocks and through Breemen (nicknamed "Semen") park to get to the T-stop. Maybe you will break down and call your boyfriend for a "lift"…

Your man takes a spoonful of the white powder and carefully lines it up on the back of a hardcover book; you idly note it's a Stephen King novel, _Jurassic Park_. You shiver, and not just because your Catholic-girl-school skirt rides up above your knee-high socks, and the whorls of cold air make goosebumps appear on your inner thighs; not just because you can see your man take surreptitious looks at said thighs, pale skin glowing a sallow orange from the street lamp about twenty feet away.

"Hurry up," you mumble, not wanting to be caught with ten thousand dollars and many kilos of coke. Even though you have cast an illusion over this place, making it look like _there is nothing and no one here_, you don't have much confidence in your jutsu.

He hands you a straw and you pray to the spirits that it is clean, oh Kami—

You snort a line that overlays a dinosaur's spine; your man's attempt at humor, perhaps? But you only get half-way through before you eye your man warily. You put down the straw and the book on the bench; the air around you buzzes with electricity. "Are you trying to fuck me?" you hiss. "This shit isn't pure."

"The fuck, Hime!" he spits, and then begins shouting, and accusations, and shit, your man is strung out—has he been getting into the meth again?—but you are no one's fool, you are ready for him.

A switch-blade appears in his hand and he swipes at you, but your eyes have been watching for him; you twist out of the way like a lithe dancer, your hands glowing with a blue light. If your man was in his right mind—which he isn't—he would stop. But his eyes are wide and frenetic, he lunges at you again, the dance of knife-lunge-dodge-roll-kick-punch begins. _Shit,_ you think, trying to stay calm despite the snafu; you don't want to kill your man, he's your only good connection on the this side of town, and your clients in New York are counting—

But your hesitation proves to be your downfall, for now your man is lunging with the unpredictable movements of one heavily inebriated, or insane. And you, you've had a bit of cocaine mixed with something else that makes your mind spin more than usual, and you stagger when you should fly—

His blade grazes your cheek, a wet line of crimson blooming across your white skin, and you curse your own incompetence. The knife probably isn't poisoned, but that's not the point. You're a mother-fucking ninja. You should have dodged that. Hinabi could have dodged a blow like that in her sleep, Neji-niisan would have deflected the attack effortlessly. You tremble with shame and terrible frustration, but your man attributes it to fear.

"Just give me the money," he pants, "and I won't hurt you."

The words are a deep insult to your pride, because you are not some damsel in distress, you are not a fucking kitten stuck in a tree—damn it all! Snarling in frustration, you lunge for the man, your glowing palm hitting him squarely in the chest. His red beady eyes go wide before he passes out on the ground from instantaneous heart failure.

"Fuck," you mutter. You're not upset that you've killed; no, you've murdered so many times, you are numb to it. It's the fact that you've lost a good contact; the fact that you've botched yet another c-ranked mission. _You're such a failure,_ a voice whispers in your head, _what the hell is wrong with you? If father knew…_

You snort at that: if your father knew you were trafficking significant amounts of cocaine in the first place, he would tan your hide right after he killed Tsunade-sama. You shake your head, squeezing your eyes against the treacherous tears that you can never, never hold back.

"Get a hold of yourself," you mutter. "You're a member of the Forest now; Forest members don't cry." This only makes the tears fall faster. Biting back a scream of frustration, you check on your illusion jutsu, patching it up where it has become weak. Then, you ransack your man for the kilos of coke, for money, for his cell phone, and for his switch-blade which is smeared with the incriminating evidence of you blood. As you bend over, you hear the strains of music: apparently, you forgot to turn off your ipod. You can hear the tinny sounds of the Velvet Underground singing, "_He's never early, he's always late; first thing you learn is that you've always got to wait. I'mmm waiting for my man." _You snort at the irony and turn off the music.

Once everything is stashed securely in your messenger bag, you funnel chakra into your Hiraishin tattoo. Looks like you are going to need a lift out of here after all.

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><p><em>an I know, not my usual fare. Let me know how you like it via your kind review! _

_Reviews=faster updates! :)_


	2. Aconite

Chapter Two: **Headquarters**

_In the clearing stands a boxer and a fighter by his trade _  
><em>And he carries the reminders of ev'ry glove that layed him down <em>  
><em>Or cut him till he cried out in his anger and his shame: <em>  
><em>"I am leaving, I am leaving," but the fighter still remains…<em>  
><em>~The Boxer, Simon and Garfukel<em>

"Well?" Tsunade questions, tapping her long red fingernails on the lacquered desk. There is a rhythm to her tapping, a steady tattoo like rain falling in sheets; her nails reflect on the polished wood, and every time she arches her fingers in a fall, the reflection of her hand ghosts alongside her in a synchronized cascade of impatience and disappointment.

"I've got the d-drugs—and the m-money," you mumble dropping both on the table top with dual thuds. "B-but I—"  
>"That asshole dealer attacked her!" Naruto breaks in. "He deserves what he got."<br>Tsunade raises a thin eyebrow. "Which was what, exactly?" she replies in honeyed tone, her fingers never stilling in their tapping.  
>"I-I k-killed him. F-forgive me," you whimper.<p>

Tsunade lets out a long sigh. "It's all right. Next time, I'm sending Naruto out with you. Is that understood?"  
>Your cheeks burn with shame. "Yes m-ma'am." You wanted to prove yourself, you wanted to do solo missions—but you aren't capable of that, are you? You are disgusted with yourself.<p>

"Hey, you did a good job," Naruto murmurs, rubbing your shoulders.  
>"It's my fault," Tsunade breaks in. "It's that old badger, Danzo. Trafficking cocaine was all his idea; Danzo and the elders forced this on me. It was one thing when it was just cannabis, but now—"<br>"I won't f-fail you again," you break in, wincing when you stumble over your words. You know the syndicate needs the money; you know it is because Uchiha Sasuke is rumored to be making his next move, and the Forest can't be caught off-guard and underfunded. Not again.

Tsunade gives you a kind smile. "You're a worthy member of the Forest; I'm glad you've joined our ranks. I'll contact you when another mission becomes available." It is a clear dismissal; you do your best not to hang your head as you hobble out of the room. The sounds of Tsunade drumming her fingernails on the tabletop fade as you close the doors to her office.

"Maybe you should stick to marijuana," Naruto offers once you are safely in the hallway. He is trying to be cheerful; it is not going to work. For a moment, you silently stare up at the doors to the Hokage's office, beautifully carved panels depicting aconite flowers in full bloom, surrounded by stylized whirls. The Hokage's office doors are similarly decorated in all of your bases: medicinal plants that also have high levels of poison, dancing on a field of Konoha emblems. It's appropriate, you think solemnly, for each member of the syndicate likewise has the power to heal or to kill, to mend or to destroy. You stare down at your hands; mostly, it seems like you don't have any power at all.

Finally, you shake your head and turn away from the doors to stalk down the long, white hallway. Naruto is wrong: you can't switch to hustling marajuana. Ever since cannabis became decriminalized in Boston, it has become easier to acquire the drug—but now they can no longer sell it at a premium, even in neighboring cities. If Uchiha Sasuke and his cronies are about to strike, the Forest needs all the money it can get.

And that means trafficking cocaine.

You don't realize it, but you're biting your fingernails. It had been at your father's prompting that you joined the Forest division of the syndicate; traditionally, the Hyuga family wielded the outward political power while the Forest worked underground. But since your tongue-tied tendencies preclude you from taking political office, you had been placed here, under Tsunade-sama's discretion.

It had been your idea in the first place to traffic the cocaine; you thought that you were oddly suited to it. As someone trained in medical jutsu, you can detoxify the effects of the drug after you sample the wares (the most recent mission excluded; there hadn't been time to activate the jutsu after your man went berserk). But most importantly, your lethal ninja abilities are hidden behind a chubby, youthful face and a school-girl uniform. Dealers thought they could take advantage of you at first, but you always ended up earning their trust—and their fear.

At least, that's how it went in the beginning. But as of late, you've been messing up more missions than not. You sigh softly and run a hand through your tangled hair; it seems that you are as ill-suited to the Forest as you are to working for the Hyuga clan.

"Come on, let's get you cleaned up," Naruto urges, worry etched in his sea-blue eyes. You nod dumbly while he leads you through the web of apartments until you come to yours. The bare white walls and gleaming hardwood floors are as unwelcoming as ever. You take off your shoes, and the cold seeps up through your thin socks. Naruto leads you to the bathroom and turns you towards the mirror; dimly, you note that the score on your cheek from the dealer's knife is deeper than you thought, though the cut has long since crusted over.

You draw a pale finger over the wound. Your skin glows with blue-green light; the cut closes shut seamlessly with a hissing sound. Naruto draws his fingers up the side of your face and brushes your cheek. He knows why you insist on going on these missions alone; he knows you don't want to hear his optimistic bluster. So he silently helps you undress, your school uniform falling away like dirty, wilted petals. He's already drawn the bath for you, and you sink down into it with a soft sigh.

He looks like he's about to say something, or maybe he wants to touch you, but instead he wordlessly leaves the bathroom. His boot-heels click on the white tiles, and the door shuts behind him with a final sounding thud.

He knows you want to be alone.

And you love him, you do, but it's hard to show that when you feel so god-damned-awful about everything. You sink into the hot water, willing the events of today to _just go away, go away_—

But suddenly, there are loud shouts coming from the other room. Your heart starts racing as you leap out of the tub and throw a towel across your wet, naked body. "Naruto-kun!" you cry, violently throwing the bathroom door open—a great rush of steam swirls into the colder air of the living room. "Sakura-chan! What's wrong?" For Sakura is in your living room too, and she looks as pale as death.

"It's Sasuke," Naruto breathes. "He's back."

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><p><em>an I'm totally obsessed with writing this new fic. Hope you are enjoying reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. _

_I'm experimenting with a new style, so it would be really great to get your feedback via a kind review. Thanks so much:) ~Wings_


	3. Central Park

_A/N Hey guys, welcome back! I'm having so much fun writing this, hope you are enjoying reading it:) Thanks for all the nice reviews:)_

_Just wanted to say that about 100 people read each chapter; it would be nice if just 10% of you readers would take the time to review; I would really appreciate it:)_

_Ok, enjoy!_

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><p>Chapter Three: <strong>Central Park<strong>

You are scouting around The Lake in Central Park. Your stomach is still queasy from your second Hiraishin ride of the day, but you grit your teeth and steady your eyes: there is a job do to, and dammit, you will _not_ fuck it up.

Uchiha Sasuke was last sighted just a few hours ago in this park, preying on victims as twilight set. The report they had received at their Boston headquarters had included at least ten victims, mostly women, but also a few men. You shiver; you know how Naruto and Sakura feel about their prodigal ex-teammate, but Uchiha Sasuke gives you the creeps. First he ran away from Konoha and joined the Snake—the legendary mafia run by infamous Ex-Nazi Orochimaru—and now, there are rumors that Sasuke has made himself into some kind of _vampire_ after slaying his old master.

You would never tell Naruto this, but if Sasuke had been your teammate, you would have given up on him a long time ago. Though you certainly don't believe the rumors that he's _actually_ a vampire; probably he's just carried on in the tradition of Orochimaru's weird and deadly human experiments. Certainly, looking like a vampire would give Sasuke power over his subordinates and victims; but if anything, it's probably nothing more than a cosmetic change. Sasuke always was a bit goth, after all…

Biting your fingernails, you press the button on your walkie-talkie. "N-no sign of him, Naruto-kun. Do you…?"

There is a sigh on the other end. "No, we haven't seen him either. Neither have the others. Let's regroup by the boathouse."

You raise your eyes and look out over the vast lake. The romantic, columnar boathouse is not far; its outline is clearly defined by strung lights, making its reflection shimmer on the lake's surface. You muse that this is a more likely place to hold weddings, what with the boathouse's beautiful stone arches and crystalline lights; it is less suited to the covert activities of the Forest. You leave your perch in the tree and run soundlessly, straight across the lake. The moon hasn't risen yet, and besides, your Byakugan-enhanced eyes don't see anyone dangerous nearby; you prefer efficiency to staying under the tree-cover, for you assume Sasuke and his cronies are long gone.

But you are wrong, dead wrong—suddenly the water materializes into a pair of liquid hands that try to grab you. But just as the hands swipe at you, you swing out of the way at the last minute, frantically pushing the button on your walkie-talkie. "Help! I'm being attacked! The Lake—" A kunai whizzes past your face and dislodges the communications device from your hand; it hits the lake with a sickening fizzle before it bubbles and sinks.

"Aw, come on little girl, I won't hurt you." The hands part to reveal a face smirking with shark-like teeth. The man hauls himself out of the water, a giant sword strapped to his back. If you weren't sure who it was before, seeing that legendary sword Kubikiribocho—its wicked blade notched like an oversized meat cleaver—makes everything clear: it is Suigetsu. Though unlike his Bingo Book picture, his canine teeth are elongated and pointed like a snake's.

You don't have time to analyze that last piece of information though, because you have to act, and _fast._ Suigetsu looks at you askance, as if he is confused; you take his moment of hesitation to channel chakra into your Hirashin tattoo. If your walkie-talkie communications haven't gone through, then this will certainly get Naruto's attention.

"You're wasting your time, Hyuga," Suigetsu barks. "The rest of your comrades are already under attack; I was told to take you on myself." Your heart sinks as the rogue syndicate member swings his blade in an arch, his blue-tinted skin rippling with muscles. "Don't give me that petrified look. I'm under orders _not_ to kill you—and I'm not allowed to turn you, either." He licks his lips at that and you quiver—what the hell does he mean, _turn_ you?

Before you can interject, Suigetsu mutters, "Though how much I want to sink my teeth into that tender, white skin, you have no idea—you look and smell _delicious_. But that's for the boss," he sighs, shrugging theatrically. "Well, do you give up, or will you fight?"

Your fists are shaking from a combination of fear and determination. Is this guy one of those creeps who rapes, kills, and _eats_ his victims? Sasuke and his cronies are more depraved than you thought. "I will never give up. For it is my way!" you roar, coming at the enemy, fists flaming with chakra, your heart beating wildly with fear and adrenaline.

But Suigetsu is the worst kind of opponent you could fight: while you are a close range fighter, Suigetsu is able to keep a wide berth around him on account of his giant sword. Worst of all, when his blade bears down on you, it is difficult to defend against: the metal seems to scream for your blood. It cuts through your pitiful defenses time and time again; your arms are soon covered in deep, bloody lacerations. The more blood he sheds, the wilder his purple eyes become, and the more he swings his terrible sword with gusto.

Your eyes grow wide with jutsu and with fear: this overwhelming bloodlust, this is why Suigetsu is called a prodigy in the art of murder. You don't stand a chance. You know this, Suigetsu knows this, but still, you funnel your pitiful reserves of chakra into your fists and prepare for another futile attack. At least you will have died trying—

Suddenly, the boathouse on the far bank bursts into flames—you can feel the chakra around your Hirashin tattoo quiver, and you know your lover is in danger. "Naruto!" you cry, terrified. The enemy takes advantage of this moment of shock to whack you over the head with the flat of his blade. The world lurches around you. You do not even have the wherewithal to curse your own ineptitude as everything goes dark, and you sink into a deep, black oblivion.

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><p><em>an make your fanfic author smile—review today:)_ _Thanks!_


	4. Vampires of New York

_a/n Special thanks to **Hypogal** , **smiles**, **DreamingCynic** , and **uchiha.s**; your reviews really did make me smile, and I probably wouldn't have updated without you guys:) This chapter is for you!  
><em>

_Published to "Lion's Roar" by First Aid Kit (if you haven't heard their new album, you don't know what you are missing)_

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><p>Chapter 4: <strong>Vampires of New York<strong>

_"Come see the vampires of New York  
>Come lose your mind in Central Park<br>But don't leave your soul behind  
>Come take in 8th street after dark."<em>

_ ~Vampires of New York, Marcy Playground_

**~8~8~8~  
><strong>

You wake to the sound of a shrill female voice but you can't make out the words. Is it Ino? Perhaps she is fighting with Sakura-chan again. You open your eyes with difficulty, but everything is dark and blurry; you try to activate your Byakugan, but the action makes your eyes sockets burn, and you cry out in pain.

"Eh, Sasuuuuuke-kuuuuuuun," the unidentified female voice coos, "looks like Little Miss Muffet is awake."

"Little Miss Muffet?" a strident male voice shoots back; some idle part of your brain notes that it is Suigetsu, your assailant. "Where the fuck did you get that name, Karin?"

"Because a wittle spider sat down beside her and scared poor Wittle Miss Muffet away. And you, ugly ass, are the spider."

"Oi—"

"Excuse me, I mean freakish sharky spider—"

"OI!"

"Silence," a deep baritone voice rumbles. You shiver, but not from the damp chill rising from the floor. "If she's awake, bring the prisoner to me."

You blink rapidly as rough hands force you up. Your vision is still swimming, but you can make out the outline of a woman with red hair and matching red eyes; her long, talon-like fingernails dig into your shoulders. "Come on bitch, get up on your feet."

"Karin," barks that thin, reedy voice belonging to Suigetsu, "remember we're not supposed to hurt the prisoner—"

"I know, dumb-ass. Shut up," Karin calls over her shoulder. Then she spears you with a glare, and you shiver. "Come on hussy, get on your fucking feet."

You strain your muscles to comply, but they are cold and cramped from lying on the floor for so long. Worst of all, your chakra feels completely drained; just the effort of standing up makes you shake uncontrollably. "Tch, Sasukeee-kun, what do you want with a weakling like her?"

"Shut up and bring her forward, Karin."

You start at that—did she say _Sasuke-kun?_ As in Uchiha Sasuke? You have no time to contemplate this new development—you are thrust out of the darkness and into a room flickering with dim lightbulbs. Your eyes clear in the uneven light and your breath catches in your throat—you are sure you are going to asphyxiate, because a pair red Sharingan eyes transfix you with terror.

Sasuke smirks and closes his eyes, as if in contemplation, and the spell is broken; your eyes flicker to his face. His skin has the pallor of death, and his black hair makes his flesh look even paler than it already is. Your eyes dart to his twisted mouth; two long fangs jut out, the wicked points gleaming crimson.

Your hands jerk to your neck—but thank Kami, _thank Kami, _there are no puncture marks on either side. You are safe—for now. Whose blood, then, drips from his fangs?

"Sakura," Sasuke murmurs, the syllables flowing like silk in his red stained mouth. "Please do a medical check on our prisoner; she looks to be out of sorts."

_Our_ prisoner? What does Sasuke mean by that? Your question is answered in a moment when Sakura steps into the light, her short hair somehow grown wild; it looks like a startled pink porcupine sits upon her head. Your eyes search Sakura's cold, glimmering green ones. Her skin is as pale as moonlight, and her lips—

Sakura smiles at your searching glance, displaying two long, bloodied fangs. "Come on, Hime," Sakura practically hums, using that unsavory nickname that she knows you hate. "Let's take a look at your head. And don't bother using chakra—you have restraints on."

Your eyes fall on your wrists, each one encased in seamless silver handcuffs; the bands are engraved with complicated geometric patterns, with bats who stare menacingly with red eyes. Your head jerks back up and you blurt out, "Whose blood—is on your mouth?" _Because please gods, please, don't let it be Naruto-kun, please gods_—

"So she speaks," Sakura quips. "Don't worry; I gave myself freely to Sasuke-sama." Her viridian eyes glaze over with a dreamy look, but she quickly comes back to herself. "We were unable to obtain any other members of the Forest."

You want to sag with relief, because Naruto-kun is _alive, _he hasn't been turned into a vampire—

"Bitch, are you going to heal the prisoner, or are you just going to stand there all day?" Karin barks. Sakura, her expression as cool and hard as stone, takes you by the arm and shoves you into chair. But far from pacified, Karin mutters, "Maybe Sakura is not as good as you said, Sasukeeee-kun. Maybe she's all talk and no bite." Karin snaps her teeth, then looks at Sasuke expectantly.

But their leader is silent, and instead Sakura replies in a sultry voice, "Not that good? That's not what leader-sama said last night."

Sasuke smirks and Karin pouts. Sakura's tongue darts out of her mouth and licks her bloody fangs, one by one; your face turns green. It's all clear now: while you were out cold, Sakura and Sasuke were having kinky vampire sex. Your gorge rises and your mouth goes sour. "You gave yourself freely?" you sputter without thinking. You can't believe it, can't believe that Sakura would turn over to the darkness so easily.

Sakura blinks down at you, her hands alight with chakra; it is not her normal, green chakra but something darker, more sinister. "I will always follow Sasuke-sama," she replies, her voice airy. Then Sakura's healing chakra floods your system, and you are too shocked, too cold, to say anything else. Her chakra makes your teeth chatter, makes your legs quake, and when she is done with you, you slump in your chair like a cadaver. Dimly, you can hear the vampires talking over your head.

"Eh, Sakura-chaaaaaan, it looks like you killed her."

"No Karin," Sakura replies evenly, "she's fine. I mended her fractured skull. It wasn't a severe injury—no thanks to Suigetsu."

There is fighting after that, Suigetsu and Karin barking at each other like yappy dogs until Sasuke booms for silence. A pair of hands pick you up and carry you back to your holding cell. Instead of the damp floor, you are placed on a hard, wooden plank; it is uncomfortable but dry. "Thank you, Sakura-chan," you mumble sleepily.

She laughs at that, a cruel snapping sound. "You won't thank me for very long." Then she closes the barred door behind her, and you are left alone with your thoughts and your throbbing headache.

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><p><em>an reviews are rewarded with faster updates:)_


	5. Under the Zoo

Hey guys, welcome back:)

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><p>Chapter 5: <strong>Under the Zoo<strong>

You wake in the morning to the curious sounds of animals; it sounds like they are above your head from the way their calls echo hollowly throughout the stone cavern. You want to use your Byakugan, but even if you weren't confined with chakra cuffs, your head hurts too much to use your doujutsu.

You blink rapidly and the darkness dissolves. By the far wall, there are some cracks in the stone ceiling where light shines through; water drips down along the joint between the wall and the ceiling. There is that sound again, like the roar of a bear.

You strain your ears, for though you are a ninja trained in ocular jutsu, you have sharp hearing as well. You hear childish laughter, and "Mommy, look at the polar bears!" Then there is a splash, and a smattering of clapping.

You squeeze your eyes shut, lost in thought; after slow deduction, you reason that Sasuke's lair is underneath the polar bear pond at the Central Park Zoo. It's a genius location, really. If you had any chakra at your disposal, you are sure you would see an intricate genjutsu woven around this cavern, concealing it from ordinary human awareness as well as from ninja sensing.

Perhaps you should try to scream? After all, if you can hear the people outside, then maybe they can hear you. Just to be sure, you rise from your plank and press your face against the bars of your cage. You squint in the half-darkness. Even without your Byakugan, you can still see remarkably well. Despite your fears, Sakura has done a good job healing your wounds, and your eyes can see, past the dark corridor and into the central chamber.

There are about twenty coffins lined up in two rows of ten. You nod to yourself. It is daytime, so the vampires are sleeping. You bite your lower lip and think about your plan; you have no idea what time it is, but if there are children faintly squealing outside, then it must be during normal business hours for the zoo. You have time.

You decide that before you try screaming—something to be hazarded as a last resort—you will first try to break your chakra sealing cuffs. If you can do that, then you can funnel chakra into your Hiraishin tattoo, and Naruto can rescue you. Barring that, you will search your holding cell for any potential escape routes. And if the above options don't work, well then, shouting yourself hoarse sounds like an excellent option.

It only takes about two hours for you to start screaming like a banshee: "Help! Please help! Heeeeeeeeeeeeelp!" Your call only summons a colony of bats, who invade the cell like dark demons. They beat their leathery wings about your head; you throw up your hands over your face, and their claws slice thin, red ribbons on your arms. You scream as you drown in a sea of dark wings.

"Enough," a male voice rumbles. The bats screech and fly away from whence they came, leaving you curled up on the floor in a fetal position. You are shaking uncontrollably, and you would be sobbing, but the screaming has taken all your strength; now you have nothing left except for a soft, rasping pant.

"Escape is futile. Sleep. Dusk is only a few hours away; then, we fly to the Hyuga household." His feet don't make a sound as he retreats; you don't know how long he is standing over you, because you are too consumed with your shaking. You tremble until the few shafts of light that had invaded the cavern disappear, and the sounds of polar bears and laughing children fade like a strange dream.

After some time, it occurs to you that something is not quite right; well, yes, being captured by a colony of vampires is disconcerting, but so was Sasuke's cryptic statement. Why are they taking you to the Hyuga compound? But then, your shakes and shivers gain in violent momentum, and you are too busy quaking to contemplate that question further.

At some point, Sakura enters your cell and channels that vile, cold healing chakra into your body. You blank out completely under her touch.

When you come to, your arms are crossed in front of Sasuke's neck; he is holding them hostage in an icy-cold fist. With a start, you realize that your body is bordered by bat wings, slicing thought the air with strong wing-beats. Sakura has large, leathery wings too; she flanks him on his right while Karin is on his left. You crane your neck as far as it will go and take in the rest of the company: there are myriad dark-winged vampires whom you don't recognize, while Suigetsu and a man who can only be Jugo bring up the rear.

You force your mind to think: these other vampires, they must be the new recruits, the victims counted at Central Park by Forest HQ. You strain your eyes to look _down_, even though it makes your stomach lurch. Despite the terrible vertigo, you deduce that you are on your way to the Upper West Side; you see Central Park rushing by below you, the lake and the smoldering remains of the boathouse, then the street lights lining Central Park West. With a sinking heart, you realize that you are heading straight towards Columbus Avenue and West Eighty-First Street; the Museum of Natural History, its immense facade illuminated by orange street lights, rushes past down below.

The vampires wheel in a dark circle over the Starbucks and the fashionable clothing boutiques, before descending over a matrix of brownstones; it is the Hyuga compound.

They land in the courtyard without a sound. Overhead, the waxing gibbous moon rises, the sallow light bathing their surroundings in a silver pallor. As the last wing-beats still, a group of Hyuga sentinels greet them you deep bows. "Uchiha-sama; Lady Hinata. Please come inside."

You gape at them. You recognize the guards, Rengi and Kudzu and Hana—why are they _welcoming_ vampires into their compound? Then the guards look up at you, their long white fangs glinting like steel daggers in the silver moonlight. Your stomach churns. They, too, are vampires.

Sasuke puts you down on the grass, while Sakura takes a position behind you; together, they force you to march up the stone steps to your father's house.

Your thoughts spin wildly in your head. Is Hiashi a vampire, too? What about the rest of your family? Hinabi and Neji-niisan—are they safe? Tears of absolute terror flow down your cheeks; Sakura jabs you in the back when your feet falter. You want to fall, you want to die, but you force your wooden legs to move. You can't give up, you just can't give up on your family, you must have hope—

The ornate arched doors to the house open with a great groaning of hinges. You look up—

Hinabi is smirking at you, two pairs of silvered fangs jutting out from her perfect, blood-red lips. She winks at you.

Your limbs turn to jelly, and you collapse on the cold stone steps.

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><p><em>an reviews make authors happy:)_


	6. Hawk

_a/n Hey, welcome back! If you'd like more updates, please review; **I'll update again when I get at least three reviews for this chapter. Since about 100 people read each chapter, I don't think that's asking too much:)** I've already written out 90% of the story, but it takes time and effort to edit and update; so, if you'd like to read the end of the story, please leave your review at the end. Thanks!_

_:)_

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><p>Chapter Six: <strong>Hawk<strong>

"Forgive me, Uchiha-sama," Hinabi murmurs, her voice like steel wrapped in velvet. "My sister always was good for very little."

You cringe with shame; Sasuke holds your limp body in his arms, much like one would hold a garbage bag. On either side of him, Sakura and Karin snicker. Your wide eyes flicker to Sakura, who casts you a caustic glare. You curse yourself for even looking to Sakura in the first place. She's no longer your friend; her pale, twisted features no longer hold any kindness, and her green eyes glimmer with maliciousness.

She is no longer Sakura, and Hinabi is no longer your sister. Still, this does not make anything any better; in fact, it only makes it worse. By sheer force of will, you force yourself to stand, even though your limbs feel like liquid and your heart is as heavy. "Neji—" you blurt out. Before you can complete your sentence, Hinabi backhands you in the face—your head whips back with the force of her hand.

You draw a shaking hand up to your bleeding nose while the vampires herds you inside. Apparently, Hinabi now has super human strength; casual slaps like that never threw you like this before. Or maybe, you have just become weaker and even more pathetic than you were to begin with.

You chase these thoughts away and grit your teeth. You must be wary. You must section off your weeping heart from the rest of yourself, for these bats will bite at the slightest show of weakness.

You must survive.

An image of your boyfriend's blue eyes, as bright as the sky at noon, comes to mind. You _will_ come back to him. _This is a mission,_ you remind yourself, trying to retain some equanimity. _You are going into enemy territory to gather important information. Remain cool, objective, and calm._ But no matter how you school yourself, your lower lip still trembles, and each step seems to jostle your bones. You move forward in a blur, your eyes cloudy with unshed tears. _Neji-niisan, please be safe…_

"Ah, my eldest daughter. What a _pleasant_ surprise," Hiashi remarks; it is clear from his tone that he is mocking you. "Uchiha-sama; you and your host are welcome." Your father's white eyes fall to you, and his gaze tells you that _you_ are less than welcome. You stifle your tears; now is the time to be strong. You still don't know what has happened to Neji. Perhaps there will be a way to save him—

"Oh, look at her steely determination, father. Isn't it adorable?" Hinabi coos. You ignore her, balling your hands into fists. Sasuke gestures for you to sit; you take a seat on a white cushion at the foot of a long, low table. Across from you, Hiashi and Hinabi sit at the head. Sasuke and his cronies flank the table on either side. Karin and Sakura sit on either side of you and throw you withering glances; you thank Kami that vampires can't kill with their eyes alone.

You clear your throat. "Father. Sister. What is the meaning of this?" You intended for your voice to carry like a clarion call, but it comes out more like a whimper.

"Oh sister _dearest_, we will ask the questions, and you will be the one to answer," is Hinabi's silken reply. You swallow back the bile rising in your throat and eye your father warily.

Hiashi tilts his chin down, his gaze boring down on you harder than Suigetsu's cursed sword. "It should be clear, Hinata-_chan_, what is going on here. But you never were the astute one in the family."

Your cheeks burn with shame, and you understand that the diminutive honorific he uses is to make you feel inferior. "Let me explain, since you obviously have rocks where your brain should be," her father continues. "The Hyuga house is no longer a part of the Konoha syndicate; we are now loyal followers of The Hawk."

"The H-hawk?" you squeak. You've never heard of that syndicate before.

"Oh father, I rather think you need to explain it even more slowly and clearly; poor Hinata-_chan._ Looks like seeing all these vampires has rattled her already poor common sense," Hinabi purrs.

"My group is called Hawk, Hinata. Now shut your mouth and listen," Sasuke snarls, his red eyes whirling with the Sharingan.

"As you can see," Hiashi continues, "everyone in the main family has been turned. Everyone but _you._" He pauses expectantly and stares at you, and for a moment, you panic. Does that mean Sasuke is going to turn you _now?_ But—why? Why wouldn't he have done so already?

But there is no time to think, for Hiashi continues. "That is because you are the most worthless member of the Hyuga clan. It is not worth our while to have you turned; no, instead, you shall serve as a figure head."

You blink up at your father. What does he mean by that? Hinabi, evidentially seeing your confusion, chortles. "You see, sister _dear_, now father and I can't go out in daylight. That's a problem. This isn't some fucking retarded Twilight story; this is the real world. That's why we need you—you're going to be our normal looking, _human_ representative."

"I'll never help you!" you cry, surprised at how loud your voice is. "Whatever you have planned, I'll never—"

Sakura slaps you across the face. "Sit the fuck down," she seethes, and you do. You hadn't even realized you were standing…

"Here's the deal, Hime," Hinabi barks. "You're going to marry Uchiha Sasuke—"

"What?" you breathe, earning yourself another slap from Sakura. The assembled vampires snicker, their pale faces made ugly with malice.

Hiashi breaks in with his low, rumbling voice. "You are going to have a public wedding with Sasuke-sama. Obviously, it will be a marriage in name only. And you will serve as our beautiful, vapid, figurehead."

There is a moment of silence when all eyes are fixed on you. You squeeze your eyes closed. "And if I refuse?" you whisper.

Hiashi claps. Double doors on the far side of the room open, and many Hyuga members file in. It is the branch family, led by Neji, and with overwhelming relief you realize that Neji has not been turned yet. Your grateful eyes meet his, but he sends you a look so filled with sorrow, it makes your heart sting. "If you refuse, sister dearest, Neji dies." Hinabi makes a series of hand-signs—

"NO!" you shout, because you recognize those signs—they are the ones that activate the branch seal.

"Sit down, slut," Karin calls, shoving you back down on your cushion.

But despite your protests, Hinabi doesn't stop: as Karin slams you down on the floor, all the branch family members begin to howl and writhe on the floor in horrible pain. "Stop!" you cry.

"Will you serve us, then?" Hinabi quips.

"Yes!" you shout, your eyes wide with terror. "Please stop, you'll kill them!"

"Will you marry Uchiha Sasuke-sama?"

"Yes! Please! I'll do anything you wish, just please! Stop!" As quickly as the shouting began, it is gone. The branch members wearily rise to their feet, standing like silent, shaking soldiers. "Please. Please don't hurt them anymore…" you whimper, your white hands clutching the end of the table; your eyes are overflowing with tears you can no longer hold back. _Forgive me, Naruto, I'm not strong enough…_

"Neji," Hinabi barks, "take Hinata to her room. And remember, if she escapes, I will kill you." Hinabi's cold, white eyes flicker to you, for the warning is as much for your sake as it is for his.

Neji bows deeply but offers no reply. Instead, he gently takes you by the arm and leads you up the broad, white-carpeted steps to your room. "Niisan," you whisper once you are safely ensconced in your room, "I'm so sorry, I'm so—"

He throws his arms around you, gathering you up in a tight hug. You stand there, crying on his shoulder, for what feels like an eternity. But finally, he pulls away and looks at you with eyes that must mirror your own; wide, white eyes filled with tears. "Forgive me Hinata-sama," he ventures at last, his voice hoarse. "If I had been stronger—"

"It's all right, Neji-niisan. We'll get out of this, somehow." You wipe away your tears with the heel of your hand. You have no idea how you will save Neji or the branch family members—you don't even know how you will save yourself. It will take a miracle. "When…Neji-niisan, when is the wedding?"

"Tomorrow night," he whispers. "I'm so sorry—" But he stops, because you are fainting from the shock of the news. He catches you before you fall on the plush, white carpet, and settles you in your bed.

"I'm sorry, niisan," you croak, looking up at him with half-lidded eyes.

"Sleep, sister. I'll watch over you."

So you do; you close your eyes, and you are so exhausted, you fall directly into a deep sleep. However, when the pale dawn streaks the sky with gold, your eyes flicker open. "Neji? Neji-niisan?" you whisper, for you hear the sound of wings beating in the air. When there is no response, you rise out of bed with a start—

There, staring down at you from the foot of the bed, is Uchiha Itachi, his Sharingan eyes rutilant, his long black and red cloak billowing out behind him. Neji is slumped on the floor—is he dead? Your eyes are wide, and you cannot breath. No! It can't be, Neji is all you have left, he can't be dead, he can't be—

You open your mouth to scream, but your gaze is already caught up in the windmill of Itachi's eyes. Your eyes roll back in your head, and you slump back down on the bed, unconscious.

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><p><em>an Plot-twist-no-jutsu! If you'd like an update, please review:) Thanks!_


	7. Itachi

_a/n Special super awesome thanks to **DreamingCynic**, **MidniteCurse4Eternity,** **uchiha.s,** and **JOHNXgambit**. You are my inspiration, my whip to update, and you get a gold star:)_

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><p>Chapter 7: <strong>Itachi<strong>

When you come to, you are curled up inside of a truck tire, your body cushioned by a moldering futon mattress. Your hands trace your wrists: your chakra restraints are gone.

You raise your weary head. Peeking over the top of the tire, you find yourself in a large junkyard. You see broken toilets; warped car parts; rusty, contorted chicken wire; rebar, sticking up through the rubble like spines, and piles of broken bricks all lay about your tire perch. It seems that you have slept on top of a large hill of trash. You are obviously not the Hime from "The Princess and the Pea," for you have slept soundly, and are oddly refreshed.

The sun is low on the horizon, shining like a pale silver disk behind the gray clouds. A few flurries are falling from the sky; they land on your arms, on your face, making you shiver. Why are you here? How did you get here?

Your head aches as you try to remember, your brain feeling as foggy as the clouds above you. You blink rapidly, furiously; with the motion, the events of last night come rushing back to you—you try to stand but you stumble instead, teetering over the edge of the truck tire—

Swift hands catch you. You twist in his grip, and you look up into the impassive face of Itachi. Your first thought: _Thank Kami, he doesn't have any fangs._ You sag in relief.

Then you shake your head, as if freeing yourself of genjutsu—you hold your body rigid, ready for battle once more. You may have escaped the vampires, but Itachi is a clan murder. Furthermore, he is a member of the Akatsuki, the infamous enemies of Konoha, who have their base in the Pacific Northwest. Why the Akatsuki are emerging now, after remaining underground for so long, is one of the many questions rattling around in your skull.

"Relax, Hyuga-san. I'm not here to hurt you." His voice is without inflection; he looks at you with the same interest one might give an impounded car: Will it run? Is it useful?

"You—I—w-what is going on," you breathe.

Itachi lets you go slowly, slowly. With halting movements, you perch on the edge of the large truck tire, your feet turned towards the center and tucked under the futon mattress. With all the gravitas of a king, Itachi sits on the other side of the tire and eyes you coolly. "Allow me to explain, Hyuga-san. As you know, my otouto is a vampire."

You nod slowly. "Did you rescue me…?"

Without taking note of your question, Itachi continues, "My foolish little brother killed Orochimaru, taking control of his gang. Unfortunately, he tried to improve upon Orochimaru's curse seal; Sasuke mutated himself, reaching inhuman levels of strength—to defeat me." It might be a trick of the low light, but you could swear Itachi just flinched. "My foolish little brother has learned the secret of vampires; he has turned every one of his cronies into a similar, disgusting creature."

Itachi cocks his head askance, a bird-like motion. You blink, taking in his fluttering black cape; his long black hair dotted with snow, sighing in the morning breeze and shimmering, as if with silver; he reminds you of an inquisitive starling.

Itachi presses on after a long pause, "My brother plans to take control of the Konoha syndicate by turning everyone into vampires. And then…" Itachi trailes off, his palms opening and falling into his lap. "And then, he's going to take over the world."

"No," you breathe. It can't be. You've always known that Sasuke is one messed up head-case, but this is a new record for the rogue Uchiha. However, your eyes flicker to Itachi, and you think that really, Sasuke's unfortunate psychosis is all his fault.

Itachi seems to divine what you are thinking. "I do not want that to happen, Hyuga-san. I may be a murderer, I may be evil…but I am not _that_ evil. I intend to stop him. That is why I rescued you from his clutches. I need your help."

"Me?" you squeak. "How can I help you?" You are only too aware of your shortcomings—your maladroit jutsu, your below-average IQ. How on earth are you going to help one of the most powerful ninja ever to have come from Konoha?

And furthermore, how on earth can you trust a murderer? The man murdered his own mother and father in cold blood, for Kami's sake! Why should he care if the whole world goes up in blood-sucking demons?

"I need to speak to the Forest syndicate leader. Please," he adds, quietly. "I would like to repent for the past. Stopping Sasuke will cost me my life."

You feel yourself soften towards Itachi, though the gods know you shouldn't. Maybe he really is sorry? Maybe… Maybe Uchiha Itachi isn't such a bad guy—for a homicidal maniac.

You shake your head and massage your temples with icy fingers. For Kami's sake, you've done your fair share of murders, lives ended with bare fists and fingers, with red knives and with odorless poison packets. You've smuggled countless kilos of cocaine through the inner cities, committed arson and larceny, stolen cars and kidnapped children. Maybe you are not one to judge. You, too, are a criminal; you, too, have a soft spot for your brother.

Suddenly, you remember something very important. "Shit! Neji-niisan! You didn't—"

"He's fine," Itachi states. "I did not kill him."

But you start to cry. "If I escaped, they were going to kill him, oh Kami, I've murdered Neji—"

"He's fine," Itachi insists. "I knew the situation. I placed him under a special genjutsu, and I left a note on his person."

"How can that possibly s-save him from—"

"The note says that when Neji wakes, he will lead Sasuke to my location. But Neji will not wake up until this evening."

You blink up at the rogue ninja through thick lashes. It takes you a good minute to connect the dots: that Sasuke's sole purpose in life is to kill Itachi, and ergo, Sasuke will not shoot the messenger. "Thank you," you whisper, tears of relief springing into your eyes.

"Thank me by taking me to your headquarters," he counters. "We haven't much time."

You gulp. Should you trust this psychopath? In all honesty, it doesn't look like you have much choice in the matter. If you don't help him, Neji-niisan will surely die.

"Okay," you blurt out. "I'll take you to Tsunade-sama."

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><p>The red alert lights blink on and off; a siren wails, hurting your ears.<p>

"Nobody move, or the Hyuga gets it!" Itachi screams, a ten-millimeter Glock held to your temple. The barrel of the gun is as cold as the snow falling all over New York's dirty streets, and it makes you shiver.

God damn. When you said you'd help Itachi, this is not what you had in mind.

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><p><em>an please review:)_


	8. Hokage

_lol, last night I updated "Zombie Plague" while drunk; today, I update "The Forest" with a mild hangover. Damn you, red beer, with your tasty hot-sauce magic! I only had half a beer; why do I suffer so? *sobs and drinks hangover cure*_

_Special thanks to **Uchiha.S** (who is always too lazy to sign in, lololol), **MidniteCurse4Eternity, The Devil's Avenger, JOHNXgambit, maxridelover, DreamingCynic, The Lady Avaritia. **I love you all, let's get married. VAMPIRE WEDDING, YOSH! HOW YOUTHFUL...er...I mean, HOW UNDEAD! :X_

_Updated to "Big Sur" by Mason Jennings; this song has become my personal theme song:)_

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><p>Chapter eight: <strong>Hokage<strong>

You eye the guards through the bullet-proof glass and shoot them a death glare—damn Raido and Genma! Why did they have to sound the fucking alarm! Now a row of masked ANBU stare down at you from the second floor balcony, training their guns/kunai/jutsu at Itachi's head.

The first to round the corner to the entryway is Naruto—of course it would be Naruto. "Hinata!" he screams, his blue eyes already going red, his fingernails elongating into claws.

"Naruto! Calm down!" you screech. And then to Itachi: "I know you're supposed to be a genius, but—"

"Hinata! Fuck!" Kiba roars, coming to a stop next to Naruto; he is about to shit a brick.

"It's all right! Please, calm down!" you shout above the screaming sirens and distraught jonin. "Just let us through to the Hokage's office!"

Despite your protests, you are soon surrounded by various and sundry secret agents. "Dammit!" you roar, though you are usually not one to roar—but seriously, you've been kidnapped by the undead, engaged to a vampire, then rescued/abducted/held-hostage by Uchiha Itachi, all in the space of twenty-four hours.

"Everyone just shut up!" you screech at last, needing to be heard above the bedlam.

"That can't be Hinata," you hear Shino buzz, his dark sunglasses obscuring his face. "Hinata-chan doesn't shout."

"And you, Shino-kun! You don't like raspberry lemonade! And you like your coffee without cream or sugar, but with hazelnut syrup. It's me! And I'm telling you, everything is all right! Just…" You pause, because everything is _not_ all right; because vampires are going to run amuck through the streets of New York tonight, and _damn it, damn it, damn it!_

"Take me to the Hokage," Itachi murmurs politely, "and no one will get hurt."

"Just—just listen to him!" you plead. And then—"Itachi-san! Behind you!"

"I know," he states evenly, avoiding two Black Ops agents with a nimble leap and mid-air twist, all the while holding you hostage, the cold barrel of the pistol never leaving your temple.

"Don't attack them!" Naruto wails, hysterical, his eyes warring with blue and red streaks, "You'll hurt Hinata!"

Shino wordlessly sends out a cloud of bugs, holding the secret agents back. "Come on," he buzzes, "the Hokage just got in early this morning." He tilts his head, his sunglasses catching the florescent light of the hallway. It seems like he will trust you, and not just because you know his beverage preferences.

There is a strange procession to the Hokage's office. Shino leads the way, followed by yourself and Itachi. Naruto, practically foaming at the mouth, flanks you on your right, and Kiba—equally foaming at the mouth—walks on your left, his eyes wide with panic. Behind you, masked ANBU agents fade in and out of the walls, while Kakahi sensei, his lone Sharingan eye whirling, trails after while walking upside-down on the ceiling. You muse sardonically that this is a freak show more likely to occur in the office buildings in hell, not New York City.

Shino doesn't bothering knocking on Tsunade-sama's door; he simply twists the heavy brass knob and shoves the ornate oak doors open. Deeply carved designs of digitalis towering over swirling eddies, all gilded and painted and worth a king's ransom, swing forward to reveal Tsunade-sama. She is hunched over a stack of papers, a half-empty sake bottle clutched in her white-knuckled hands.

Tsunade looks up from her papers with a growl. "How dare—oh shit." She blinks at them owlishly, her purple rimmed eyes betraying her confusion as well as her lack of sleep.

"Tsunade-sama, there's no time to waste. Please listen to Itachi-san's intel," you state, your voice hollow and reedy-sounding, but steady.

Tsunade stands up abruptly, shoving her chair to the ground. Her honey-colored eyes are wild. "She's under a genjutsu, we—"

"Tsunade!" you break in, even though you've never interrupted your superior before. "Sakura has been turned into a vampire! By Sasuke! And there's no time, Tsunade, because—"

"Sakura," Naruto breathes, slumping against the door frame. "No…"

But you can't stop, _you won't stop_, because this is bigger than you and Sakura and the entire Konoha syndicate. "The Hyuga main family has all been turned into vampires and they serve Uchiha Sasuke! And they are planning my wedding to Uchiha Sasuke _tonight_—all of New York's social and political elite are going to be there, and _they are going to turn them all into vampires if we don't do something!"_ you end in a frenetic shout, panting with effort once you finish.

Itachi nods. "I can stop Sasuke. But I'll need your help."

Tsunade's mouth opens and closes, then opens again, but no sound comes out. Finally, she takes a swig from the bottle of sake, still clutched in her fist like a weapon. "Nobody lays a finger on Itachi until he's explained everything," she cries at last.

With deft movements, Itachi withdraws the Glock from your temple; he opens the cylinder, which is empty of any ammunition, and shows it to the Hokage. Tsunade snorts, clearly not amused.

"Does this mean I can go now?" you ask weakly. Spending the night in the vampire's cave, then napping in a trash heap, has made you smell worse than the slums of Boston after the Red Sox win (or lose) a game.

"No. We need your information too," Tsunade mumbles, while she eyes Itachi warily.

Even so, Itachi releases you from his arms, making you stumble forward. Naruto catches you quickly, not minding that you smell worse than last-week's beer sludge; he buries his face in your hair and wraps his muscular arms around your body until you worry he might squeeze you to death.

"Naruto-kun. I'm fine," you breathe. "Itachi-san rescued me from Sasuke." It is the wrong thing to say, for now Naruto is crying into your greasy hair, and his back is shuddering with each breath.

You draw your arms around your boyfriend, but your hands ball into fists behind his back. How you wish you were strong enough to defeat Uchiha Sasuke yourself. You want to twist his white, columnar neck; to slash his perfect, pale face; to send him to the deepest, darkest corner of hell, there to rot for all time.

You are a gentle person despite your occupation—you love kittens and puppies and babies, in that order. You have never hated anything in your life—until now. Now, hatred gnaws at your insides like a flesh-eating parasite, and it is all focused at Uchiha Sasuke. Your fists itch with chakra.

Tsunade calls for order. You take a seat at Itachi's right side, while Naruto clutches the sides of your high-backed chair, hovering behind you like a fretting mother hen. Kiba and Shino stand behind you to your right and left; the former grimaces, his canine features twisted in deep anxiety, while Shino is as inscrutable as ever. The ANBU fan out around the office, blending in with the wallpaper designs and sofas, while Kakashi takes a stand directly next to the Hokage, his Sharingan eye fixed with deadly precision on Uchiha Itachi.

Itachi slowly and deliberately puts away his pistol, then lays his hands, palms up, on the Hokage's desk. You clear your throat and you start from the beginning: the doomed battle with Suigetsu, waking up in a cavern under the polar bear area in the Central Park zoo; when you get to the part about Sakura, about how she reportedly gave herself over to Sasuke, you can hear Naruto weeping loudly. Each shuddering cry vibrates through your chair, and with your three-hundred-and-sixty-degree vision still activated, you can see his twisted, grieving features all run over with tears.

But you don't stop, _you cannot stop_. Your mouth opens and more of the story spills out; your voice is clear, detached and calm, as if another person is speaking through your lips. You don't stumble at all as you talk about your fanged father and sister, and the cruel subjugation of Neji and the branch family.

"My wedding with Uchiha Sasuke is tonight," you mutter. "It will go on without me. They are planning to turn everyone important in the city into…vampires."

"We have to stop them!" Naruto cries, his voice strangled with emotion.

At this point, Tsunade would usually tell Naruto to shut-the-fuck-up and let her think; but her eyes are misted over with tears too. "I know," she replies hoarsely.

"Naruto-kun, Tsunade-sama," Itachi's velvety voice breaks in. "I can take away my outoto's vampire jutsu—a gross perversion on Orochimaru's curse seal—and thereby, I can remove the seal from everyone who has been infected."

"You mean—you can save Sakura-chan?" Naruto whimpers.

Itachi turns in his chair to face Naruto and replies, "I can. But I'll need your help."

"But how can we trust you?" Naruto roars, going from grieving to enraged in the space of a heartbeat. "You fucking killed—"

"Because it is in the best interest of myself and the Akatsuki," Itachi replies nimbly. "The Akatsuki do not wish for the world to be overrun by vampires; it would be bad for business. As for myself…I am expendable."

"You bastard," Naruto seethes, "why should we believe you, after everything you've—"

"Because I am dying, Naruto-kun," Itachi whispers; the room goes deathly quiet. "Tsunade-sama can verify this fact."

As Tsunade rounds the corner of her desk and places her glowing hands on Itachi's shoulders, Naruto still glowers down at Itachi. "You bastard," he mutters, "you're the one who killed your whole family. You've made Sasuke what he is! You—"

"I know," Itachi murmurs, gazing unflinchingly into Naruto's red-streaked eyes. "That is precisely why I will help you. We have a common purpose, you and I."

"Which is what?" Naruto snarls, his canines elongating into fangs.

"We both want to save my outoto." Itachi stares at Naruto without blinking, and his voice is as smooth and cool as vermouth on the rocks. Naruto's face softens; his canines retract, and his eyes turn back to blue.

"Oh," is Naruto's breathy reply.

You know, now, that Naruto will follow through on the plan. And where Naruto follows, the rest of the Forest follows.

"You don't have long to live, Itachi…san," Tsunade mutters. "You won't survive the week with a heart like that."

"I don't intend to survive the night. Are you ready to hear my proposal?" Itachi states quietly. He glances at the clock on Tsunade's desk. "We don't have much time."

Tsunade sighs heavily, but then the phone rings. She scans the caller ID and answers quickly. "Danzo you bastard, what the hell—oh. I was going to—you _what_—you _want_ us to team up with Itachi?" She cups her hand over her mouth and the receiver, though you can still hear her muffled curses and exclamations despite her muffled tone. Finally, she slams down the receiver and glares at Itachi.

"Let's have it, then, Uchiha. But don't think that I trust you farther than I can throw you," she grunts.

Without missing a beat, Itachi murmurs, "Indeed, I doubt you could throw me very far, even with your super-human strength. Here is the plan…"

By the end of the explanation, your eyebrows are halfway up your forehead. You weren't expecting Itachi to betray the Akatsuki…

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><p><em>an Oh shit! Next chapter is the epic vampire/mafia/ninja rumble! _

_**Guess which major east coast city will be the setting of the next chapter. Winner gets to order a oneshot! Leave your best guess in your review:) **_

_If you can go so far as to guess the city and the neighborhood where the rumble will take place, I'll write you a two-shot or two one-shots! Lol, so think long and hard about where the best place to hold an all-out fight between the vampire ninja mafia might take place:)  
><em>

_Much love, and please review:)_


	9. Philadelphia

_a/n SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT! I got, heh heh, distracted, heh heh._

_Anyway, as for the contest, **JOHNXgambit** was the closest. Tell me what ya want for your one-shot mister!_

_And now...Welcome to Philadelphia, the place of my birth, and the perfect setting for a vampire vrs mafia vrs ninja RUMBLE!_

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><p>Chapter Nine: <strong>Philadelphia<strong>

You are waiting in an abandoned industrial zone in North Philly, where Konoha agents are fanned out around a series of dilapidated warehouses. This is the old Uchiha district, brick buildings crumbling with age and pockmarked with bullets; the faded names of the old factories are all but illegible, and the district is crisscrossed with SEPTA trolley lines that no longer run.

This is the site that Itachi has chosen for his final show down with Sasuke. There are no inhabitants within a few miles of this part of the industrial zone; furthermore, in this particular part of town, the police are notoriously slow when responding to crime. When things get out of hand—and they certainly will—the syndicate should be able to hold off the police just long enough to finish things.

But you reckon the most important reason that Itachi has chosen this site is to close the final chapter in the story of Uchiha parricide—what better setting than the part of the industrial zone that manufactured weapons for the Uchiha clan in days long past?

You bite your lower lip until you draw blood. Idly, you finger the two artifacts that Itachi gave you back at the New York headquarters: a flawless milky crystal that glows like a small moon when activated by chakra, and the fire-opal strung around your neck, the small, seemingly innocuous stone carved to look like a fox with nine tails. Your eyes glaze over as you remember that part of the mission briefing:

"_The Hyuga have one major Achilles' heel," Itachi explains, his voice even, his eyes inscrutable. "They are extremely susceptible to genjutsu on account of their all-seeing dojutsu. Hinata, I am sure you are familiar with the old Hyuga family secret pertaining to the Moon's Eye?"_

_You are unable to suppress an involuntary shudder. It is a clan secret, but you had always thought it was more myth than fact. "You mean the story of the renegade branch member who nearly destroyed the entire Hyuga c-clan? I am s-surprised you know of that old urban l-legend," you mumble, stumbling over the irony of the situation. It's strange to be talking about clan genocide with the perpetrator of the Uchiha massacre._

_Itachi merely nods with his usual gravitas, showing no sign that the strange conversation is striking a cord with him. Wordlessly, he withdraws a milky-white orb from his cloak and hands it to you. "This…is the Moon's Eye."_

_You almost drop the damned artifact in surprise. "You—you want me to kill my family?" you whisper. There is no way you'd ever sink to his level—_

"_No," Itachi states smoothly, "I want you to capture them in a genjutsu until I defeat my brother and reverse the curse mark." He explains how to use the crystal, how to funnel the chakra just so; how to keep clear in your mind's eye the illusion you want to cast._

"_Itachi-san," you mumble, your eyes clouding with fear, "I do not have enough chakra to cast such a large illusion…" You want to help, you really do, but dear gods, you _don't _want to fuck this up. If you fuck up, everyone is going to die, and it will be your fault, your fault—_

"_Hinata-san. That is why I have this second item." Itachi reaches into his cloak once more; the ANBU in attendance bristle with fear, but the rogue ninja merely withdraws a necklace. A tiny red fox dangles on the end of a black chord. "You and Naruto have a strong bond, do you not?"_

_You and Naruto share a glance. "Yes, of course," you answer, "but what—"_

"_You are aware that Naruto-kun houses the power of the Fox Demon, handed down through generations of Konoha nin?" You inhale sharply and nod your head. "Good. If Hatake-san would be so kind to set these characters on you," Itachi murmurs, handing a sheet of paper to Kakashi, "then this charm will allow you to draw on the chakra of the Fox."_

_There is bedlam after that; Naruto and Tsunade shout at each other, while Itachi sits stock-still, looking about as smug as a meditating Buddha in the midst of the chaos. And you—you're not sure about any of this, wielding arcane magics and channeling the chakra of the rabid Fox Demon—a power even Naruto struggles with. But there is no time, and the sun is setting, and you find yourself half-naked in the Hokage's office being covered with cool, inky tattoos, while the ANBU get the private jet ready to land at Philadelphia National Airport._

"_Hokage-sama, one last thing," Itachi beckons in his silken voice. "The Akatsuki are going to attack Konoha whilst you are engaged in battling the Hawk."_

You shake your head at the memory. It seems like Itachi's intel on the Akatsuki matches the data gathered by Jiraiya: the legendary Pacific mafia has been waiting to attack Konoha for some time, and it seems that now—while Konoha is rife with in-fighting and vampire-slaying—is going to be when they will strike.

But why is Itachi betraying the Akatsuki? Why is he helping Konoha? What on earth could be his motive? Is he really doing all this just to save his little brother? You think Itachi should have thought of saving Sasuke before he slaughtered his whole clan and destroyed Sasuke's fragile little psyche.

"Hinata-chan, are you okay?" Naruto mumbles. He is crouched next to you under a crumbling awning. Shino and Kiba stand guard on either side, while Hatake Kakashi is on the roof over your heads.

"Mmmm," is your only reply.

Naruto looks like he wants to say more, but your walkie-talkie line crackles instead. "Kchhh. Hawk incoming at two-o'clock. Ready your positions and your jutsu. Over. Kchhh."

Your sweating palms clutch both the Moon's Eye crystal and the fox hanging at your throat. You gaze out over the purple horizon, stained a metallic orange from light pollution, and see a flock of dark-winged creatures blotting out the light of the moon with their flight. A gust of wind blows over the rooftop, but that is not the only reason why you shiver.

"Let's do this, Hinata-chan!" Naruto whispers.

You nod, clenching the crystal in your clammy palms. You squeeze your eyes close and concentrate on forming a large, intricate web, more delicate and detailed than the finest filigree. You ignore the fast-approaching demons—some of them wearing the faces of your undead friends and family—and you concentrate, _concentrate_. The orb pulls on your chakra, pulls at your reserves and leaves you panting. You do not have enough power.

Your right hand tightens on the choker at your throat, the fox talisman. "Now," you breathe, and a jagged river of red chakra comes into you. It is hard to take in a steady stream, to weave the pulsing, ragged chakra into a fine thread. It burns your body, it sets your mind on fire, but still you weave the genjutsu with your mind. _Come on fox, _ you think at the rutilant light, _If we lose, Uchiha Sasuke will—_

_**Shut up human,**_a voice snarls in your mind, and you are certain that it is _not_ Naruto. _**I hate the Uchiha more than you will ever know.**_ There is another push of red energy that nearly knocks you over, that sears your chakra channels. But still, you weave, _weave, weave_—

Just as the first of the Hawk vampires set foot on the rooftop, you hold the orb over your head, ready and waiting for the signal.

Two rooftops over, you can see Itachi and Sasuke, their dark forms silhouetted by flickering street lights. You're not sure, but you think Itachi looks at you, briefly, before he and Sasuke are obscured from sight as a barrier shield is erected around just the two of them. It won't come down until one (or both) of them are dead.

_All right,_ you think to yourself, _now is the time_. If this doesn't work, everyone you know and love will die—or worse, they will become undead. With steely determination, you surround the Moon's Eye crystal with chakra and throw it up into the night sky. It floats like a star, up over the assembled gang members, and just as it is about to bathe everyone in silver light, catching them in a complicated illusion—

The crystal shatters from the force of glowing hands. Hinabi, her teeth gleaming in the moonlight, smirks at you as she descends from the sky on black wings. "Oh sister. I don't think _that_ jutsu is going to work."

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><p><em>an please review;)_


	10. Hyuga vrs Hyuga

a/n hey friends, welcome back and sorry for the long wait! Thanks first of all for your nice lil' reviews and such:)

Good news! I published a giftfic for **JOHNXgambit**, the winner of my lil contest. It's a Naruto Souleater crossover called **"Scrabble"** and it's up at www dot fanfiction dot net/s/8036578/1/SCRABBLE (or check out the link on my profile:)

Only two more chapters left after this! Oh boy!

Enjoy;)

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><p>Chapter Ten: <strong>Hyuga Vrs Hyuga<strong>

Your jaw drops in shock as Hanabi stares at you with red red eyes. In a moment, she is joined by Karin, Suigetsu, Sakura, and at least fifty other vampires you don't recognize.

You can't feel your extremities—everything goes cold and dark and hopeless, because you _failed, _and now—

"Forgive us, Konoha!" Neji cries from a nearby rooftop. "We are under coercion and are fighting against our—" But Neji can't complete his sentence, for he drops to his knees in pain.

"You'll fight and you'll like it, you pussy!" Hanabi snarls, her voice ringing. "Now go!"

You watch as Neji runs with jerking movements and engages with his old sensei, as the other branch family members are forced to fight their own comrades.

You turn to your sister, your eyes wide. "Why…how…how could you?" you whisper.

"Get over it, bitch," Sakura replies, gnashing her teeth at you.

Beside you, Naruto has lost even the ability to speak. His mouth hangs open; this is the first time he's seen Sakura since she's became a vampire.

Hanabi smirks, which twists her cold features; she no longer looks human. "Sister dearest. Really. You couldn't have _possibly_ believed that the Moon's Eye was real; we planted that garbage on Itachi."

Your eyes widen with horror, but there is no time to reply, because Hanabi flings herself at you, while Sakura attacks Naruto with a roar. Everything is a blur of red chakra, of claws and of fanged teeth. You fight with desperation—because you know, now, that if you or your teammates are caught, the vampires will not hold back, they will turn you _into one of them_, dear gods, _no—_

But though you fling everything into your attacks, Hanabi deflects you effortlessly; though your defenses are wrought of cold-hard fear, though you are desperate and fight with your last ounce of strength, _it is not enough_.

You hear horrible cackles, the sounds of metal on metal, metal on stone; you smell jutsu that sears the air, that burns, that tastes like ozone after a lightning storm. With your three-hundred-and-sixty degree vision, you can see Kakashi struggling against Suigetsu, and a wave of other Forest members fighting with innumerable vampires. You are lost amidst an ocean of fighting, and you are falling down under Hanabi's unrelenting hands.

Just as you are about to give up, you hear Naruto's voice ringing clear over the clanking of metal and the smacking of fists: "I will never give up on you, Sakura-chan! I'm going to do for you what I couldn't do for Sasuke—I'm going to kick your ass, and then I'm going to bring you home! I swear it!"

Sakura's reply is drowned out by the sounds of fighting, but Naruto's words give you a strength you didn't know you had; your heart fills with love, with determination. Your hands glow red and your chakra channels burn—it is the Kyubi's chakra that flows from Naruto and fills you.

Barring your teeth, you open yourself to the malicious chakra, though it _burns, burns, burns_ your fingers and your chakra vessels. You throw yourself at Hanabi and this time, your fists hit flesh. You pummel her, one hand after the other, until you and Hanabi are a flying mass of fists and feet. Her chakra is black, malicious; but your chakra is red and blue, and it beats back at hers, until the darkness frays and tears and your blue and red chakra shine through.

Your lips echo Naruto's words: "I won't give up on you, sister! I'm going to beat you into a bloody pulp, and I'm going to save you! Even if it kills me!" you snarl. Your canine teeth are elongated, and your fingernails are long claws that rake the air with blue and red light.

Hanabi throws back her head and laughs. You lunge at her, but this time, a dark form drops down beside her; you barely have time to leap out of the way as the new foe attacks you, his chakra as black and vile as Hanabi's. He laughs, a low, rumbling sound, like a crumbling mountain. You pale: it is your father, Hiashi.

"Hanabi," he snarls, "allow me the pleasure."

"Of course, my Lord father," Hanabi replies evenly, though you can tell from the set of her eyes and the taunt lines of her mouth that she is irked at having lost the match against you.

Then Hiashi is attacking you, his long teeth flashing like silver knives in the darkness, his eyes white and cracking with immense power. You've never won a match against your father—even without his vampire powers—and for a moment, your heart falters. But then, you feel your own chakra, flowing like a river of light in your veins, and you think to yourself—_I can't lose. If Naruto can fight Sakura, then I can fight my father_.

You leap into the air, screaming your defiance, and you are a mass of whirling light, of jutting blue-and-red hands. You take a perverse pleasure in this fight; you will not win, but you will fight well. Your heart flies along with your fists, because finally, _finally_, you are kicking ass.

Even if you will die trying.

There's no doubt in your mind that you are losing; for every blow you land, Hiashi lands two more; every time you score a hit, your fathers fists burn you, shatter you; his chakra sears your tender pressure points, one after the other. Your heart lurches from the impact.

But you don't stop—you _can't_ stop—for you are numb to the pain; you are red, you are burning with anger not wholly your own, and you lash out at your father with claws, with animal screams, with determination and strength. Yes, you are dying, you can feel the limp beats of your heart, irregular, fading; but you force chakra into your heart, you force it to keep beating. You will fight with your last dying breath, and your father will say of you that you died a worthy opponent. That is enough.

The light in your eyes fade, until your father is a hazy blur of black light; but you do not stop, you cannot stop, _you will not stop_. Your fist meets bone, _thwack, crack_; you have fractured one of his ribs. Your feet lash out with scarlet light, with fury; you score a hit on his legs, which buckle beneath him.

But now Hanabi is coming at you as well, a blur of fangs and claws, and you are dying, your strength is leaving you, your heart is whimpering from the damage you've taken—

That's when you feel something rising, from your stomach to your throat. You retch, but what comes up is not bile, but a crow with two white, pearlescent eyes. Panting, you look at the crow with your fading eyesight. It opens its beak, and Itachi's voice calls out:

"Now, Hinata. It's time to break the seal."

It is if you are ensorcelled; without thinking, you unleash as much chakra as you can into the crow, thin blue chakra laced through with crimson. The bird caws once, beats his wings in the air, and then his eyes are alive, burning with the silver light of a thousand full moons. With the last of your sight, you see the Hyuga vampires fall, unconscious at your feet—it is over.

You sink down to your knees, then slump over onto the ground. Your heart beats once more, then stills. You shudder your last, dying breath and collapse in a numb heap. Blood trickles from the side of your mouth, but your lips are drawn up in a smile.

You hear Naruto cry out your name, and then everything is blessed darkness.

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><p><em>Please review:)<em>


	11. Red

Wa-bam! Only one more chapter left after this. Enjoy friends, enjoy!

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><p>Chapter Eleven: <em>Red<em>

You never thought that Itachi would meet you at the gates to the afterlife. He appears like an angel of death, black cloak billowing out like dark wings, his long black hair whipping in the wind.

"Itachi-san," you cry out, "are you dead, too?"

He smiles at you then, an odd demi-grin that looks half-grimace. "You are not quite right. I am dead, but you are simply dying." You look at him quizzically, and he explains, "Sakura is healing you now—"

"Sakura? Then—we broke the seal! She's no longer a vampire!" You slump in relief.

Now it is Itachi's turn to eye you askance. "Always worried about others before your own safety. You and I are much alike. Listen well, Hinata, for my chakra fades from this world. I have broken the cursemark and have sealed away Orochimaru's vile chakra from this world—but Sasuke has escaped with Uchiha Madara, and the Akatsuki are closing in on the Forest, even as we speak. They are after Naruto, and they won't stop until he is dead and the fox is in their hands."

"No," you whimper. After coming this far, after everything you've done, it can't be true. The Forest has just barely defeated Sasuke and the vampire hordes, and now—

Now the Akatsuki are after your boyfriend.

Before you can cry, Itachi puts a hand on your shoulder. "Take the last dregs of my chakra, Hinata. Live. Wake up and activate the Moon's Eye crystal once more."

"But—"

"The crow was just an amplification device. The Moon's Eye itself I implanted in your skull, after a few modifications. Now wake."

You want to argue—you want to say that you have no idea how to defeat the Akatsuki, that you don't know how to use the crystal that is somehow embedded inside of your head, but Itachi fades from sight, and the darkness dissolves. Black light turns indigo, then violet, then blue. Your eyes flicker open.

"Thank the gods, Hinata, oh Hinata-chan," Sakura cries, her green eyes full of life, and tears, and grief. "Hinata-chan, I'm so sorry."

Naruto is by your side, and he is crying uncontrollably. "Naruto-kun," you whisper, taking his hand in your own.

His blue eyes are overflowing with tears, and he looks at you, striken. "Naruto-kun," you repeat, "does the Kyubi have any more chakra left?" You raise yourself up on wooden limbs.

"But Hinata—" Sakura begins, but you cut her off.

"The Akatsuki will be here any minute," you say. "And we need to kick some ass."

You cough, and your lungs shudder against your rib cage; red flecks dot your hand as you pull it away from your mouth.

"Hinata! I just pulled out out of the Death God's jaws," Sakura calls indignantly. "You can't—"

"I have to," you whisper, though your voice is sharp, determined. "Itachi gave me a jutsu that will stop the Akatsuki."

Of course, you have no idea of what that jutsu is, but there is no time to figure it out. Over the crests of burnt-out buildings, flying through the horizon of orange street-lights, comes a small army, their cloaks billowing out around them like extended shadows.

"Byakugan," you whisper, even though your eyes burn. You finger the fox charm at your throat and draw on the Kyubi's chakra. It courses chaotically through your already raw channels, but you grit your teeth and take the power all the same. You step forward, but you falter; Naruto catches you.

"Carry me to the front lines," you whisper. Naruto doesn't argue; he gathers you up in his arms, bridal-style, and runs over the rooftops, towards the tide of enemies. With your expanded vision, you can see Sakura trailing behind you, her eyes flashing and fey; she is still half-mad from having been a vampire, and you know that she will fight, heedless of any danger. You clench your hands into fists.

Sakura won't have a chance to fight. You will take care of the members of the Akatsuki by yourself—you will save everyone.

Your eyes scan the incoming enemies. "The masked man—Uchiha Madara—is in the center," you gasp. "He is flanked by Kisame and Kakuzu. Hidan brings up the rear; Deidara is flying a helicopter above. Zetsu is lurking behind them; don't let him touch you," you warn.

"Uchiha Madara?" Naruto asks, his face twisted in a grimace. "But I thought—"

"He's alive," you murmur. "That's what Itachi told me."

Naruto shakes his head. "But how can we trust Itachi to—"

"Naruto," you whisper, "trust _me_."

If you had your wits about you—which you do not—you might think twice about rushing off to meet the Akatsuki. After all, you were nearly dead about five minutes ago. Furthermore, you are being carried by Naruto, the very person they wish to capture, and kill.

But something tells you that you are making the right decision, something that defies all reason and logic. Perhaps it is a compulsion or genjutsu that Itachi has placed on you; maybe it is merely a gut feeling. As the wind whips your hair back and you travel forwards, and the roar of the helicopter deafens your ears, you feel oddly peaceful.

The line of Akatsuki close in quickly, the sounds of their approach drowned out by the clamor of the helicopter above you. The masked man gestures for the helicopter to fly out behind you to cut off your escape. Your ears ring in the sudden, relative quiet as the helicopter flies off, a reprieve that doesn't last long; you can hear Deidara dropping explosives on unsuspecting Forest members, and you wince.

You will have to end this quickly.

"What do we have here?" Madara calls, his voice thick with malicious mirth. "You've delivered the Kyubi right into our hands!"

"What a bunch of dumb kids," Kisame mutters, cocking a pair of machine guns at you in his beefy arms.

Hidan comes out from behind Madara and snorts. "What do you mother-fuckers think you're going to do? That bitch is half-dead," he mutters, motioning towards you, "and you two are cock-sucking—"

You don't let Hidan finish. You force the Kyubi's chakra into your eyes until they burn and your vision swims red. You offer a silent prayer to Itachi, because you have no idea what you are doing, and yet you must, _you must_—

As if in response, you hear a crow cawing in the distance. Your vision clears. Everything is outlined in red and in silver. It is as if you are looking through things instead of at them, their atoms whirling, their contours shimmering with light. There is no thought, only instinct—you roar out your defiance, an inchoate cry, and all heads turn towards you.

The chakra in your eyes flare, and there is nothing but the red light, and the scream that dies on your lips; you are nothing but the burning jutsu. It is as if the red light has a life of its own, and it flows like a sinuous dragon out of your eyes. It burns everything in red fire, it flows and whorls like a windstorm.

Unbidden, the words ring out of your mouth: "Protect Konoha."

Then, the red dragon fire is gone; you have no time to wonder if you are dead or merely sleeping as the darkness drowns you.

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><p><em>Please review:)<em>


	12. Peaceful

_We come to the end of this fic, my friends. Thanks to my reviewers for their support; I know this wasn't a popular fic, due to the 2nd person POV, but it was a fun ride, was it not?_

_And...onwards..._

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><p>Chapter Twelve: <strong>Peaceful <strong>

_The chakra in your eyes flares; there is nothing but the red light. The light has a life of its own, flowing like a sinuous dragon out of your eyes. It bathes the world in crimson, it flows and whorls like a windstorm._

_Unbidden, the words ring out of your mouth: "Protect Konoha."_

_Then, the red dragon fire is gone; you have no time to wonder if you are dead or merely sleeping as the darkness drowns you..._

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><p>"Hinata?"<p>

You flutter your eyes open, but you can't see; there is something heavy over your eyes. You reach out, flailing weakly; a warm hand catches your own.

"Naruto?" you rasp, wincing at the sandpaper sound of your own voice.

He places his other hand on your forehead, smoothing back your hair. "How are you feeling?"

You consider the question for a moment. Everything hurts: your eyes, all your chakra pathways; you ache from your little toe to the tip of your nose. "Awful," you mutter at last. And then: "What happened?"

"You burned out all your chakra pathways," comes another voice, soft with concern. It is Sakura. "Actually," she continues, "it would be fairer to say that you scorched your chakra pathways. And don't even try opening your eyes, because—"

"No," you whisper. You already know that your condition is abysmal. "I mean, what happened—with the Akatsuki?"

There is a moment of silence.

"They were apprehended," Sakura says at last.

"What do you mean?" you rasp. You try to sit up in bed, but Naruto gently holds your shoulders so that you can't move.

"They fell under your genjutsu—or whatever that was. Man, it was awesome," Naruto whispers. "When they came to, they offered themselves up, just like that."

"Offered themselves up?" you ask, not comprehending.

Sakura chuckles. "They asked us how they could protect Konoha, and Naruto said they should knock themselves out—and they did, literally."

Naruto laughs heartily at that. "What can I say—I'm a genius! We had those idiots trussed up like turkeys in no time." Naruto rubs your shoulder reassuringly. "I don't know what you did, Hinata, but you really kicked ass."

You cough weakly in response. "Thanks." You are warm from the praise and you sink into your pillows, content.

"We should let you rest," Sakura murmurs. "And Hinata? I…"

"I forgive you," you whisper, and there is a moment of silence before you say, "and I'm glad you're okay."

Sakura doesn't respond—you get the feeling, even without sight, that she is choked with tears—but Naruto laughs warmly, dispelling the awkward tension.

"Sleep well, Hinata," Naruto says.

And you do, because you cannot stay awake any longer; you fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.

When you wake up again, you sense other presences in the room. One of them is Neji, but the others… Though the chakra signatures seem familiar, they are also distorted. You can't quite tell who they are. It is only after they whisper to each other that you recognize Hanabi and your father. Becoming de-vampire-ized must have altered their chakra.

You cough, then force yourself to sit up in bed. "Hey."

"Hinata-sama," Neji cries, and he flings his arms around you; you smile.

"I'm fine, Neji-niisan."

"You are not fine! You almost died—"

"Shhhh. I'm fine," you insist, and you smile widely. "Father? Sister?" you call, "How are you feeling?"

There is much coughing and shuffling of feet; there are mumbled words of apology which you can't quite make out. It is as if the words are muffled in their hands, or fall from their mouths like thick, dry cotton.

You reach up and remove the gauze covering your eyes, with care. Your vision is blurry, but you can see your father and sister, looking shamefaced, but gods, _they are alive,_ and you smile your warm smile.

"I'm glad you're okay," you say.

Hiashi clears his throat. "The Hokage wanted to see us…after you woke."

Neji helps you up; after wobbling for a moment, you regain your footing, though you still lean on him for support for the entire journey to Tsunade's office. The long trip up the stairs makes you woozy, and you feel as though you are floating instead of walking on solid ground.

Naruto and Sakura are in the office, waiting for you; Shino and Kiba are there too, looking concerned but mostly relieved. Neji leads you to a chair directly across from Tsunade's desk, and you sink into it gratefully.

"Tsunade-sama," you say before anyone else can speak, "I'd like to ask two favors of you."

"Anything," Tsunade replies. "We owe you!"

"It was nothing," you whisper. You close your eyes and think that if anyone is the hero in this story, it is Itachi and not you. You shake your head and open your eyes. You didn't come here to mourn, or to lessen your own accomplishments; you came here to _finally_ get what you want.

"The first thing I would like," you begin, "is to renounce my family name. I no longer wish to be a Hyuga."

Behind you, you hear Hiashi inhale sharply; however, he does not say anything.

"You realize your inheritance will go to your sister, then?" Tsunade replies, her voice soft. You nod. "Fine. I'll finalize the paperwork with your father this afternoon. The other thing that you wanted?"

"A vacation," you blurt out. "I want a long, paid vacation, in a foreign country where no one knows who I am. And I want to take Naruto with me."

There is a moment of silence. You feel your palms sweating and your stomach clenching, but you jut out your chin in defiance, because the gods damn it, you are going to get what you want this time.

"Granted," Tsunade says at last. "That is, if Naruto wants to go."

"Hells yeah, I want to go on vacation! That sounds awesome!"

Naruto comes over to you and starts babbling in your ear, but you can't quite make out the words; in your mind's eye, you see tropical islands, endless sand, the ocean, and an open bar.

Naruto leads you out of Tsunade's office and into your apartment. You lay down on your bed, exhausted, but happy.

"Hey, Naruto?" you whisper as you place your head on the pillow. "Pack your bags. I want to leave tomorrow. For Hawaii; or maybe Tahiti," you say, your lids growing heavy with sleep.

"Are you sure you want to leave so soon? Are you feeling—"

"I'm fine, and I want to leave right away," you whisper. "And…Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"Let's elope," you blurt out.

Naruto is quiet for a moment; you force your eyes open, and you see he is grinning from ear to ear.

"Yeah babe. Let's do that," he whispers.

You smile broadly and you fall into a deep, dreamless sleep, feeling peaceful for the first time in a long time.

~FIN~

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><p><em>Please review;)<em>


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